Saturday, August 5, 2017

Unrelenting heat to prolong poor air quality over northwestern US into next week

August 5,2017, 6:14:27AM,EDT

The persistent hot and hazy conditions over the northwestern United
States will be a dangerous combination for residents and visitors into
next week.

The heat has throttled back slightly since its peak
around the middle of this past week, but temperatures are projected to
remain 10 to 15 degrees Fahrenheit above early August normals through
much of this week.
The high temperature in Portland, Oregon, has
not been below 90 since July 30 and may not drop below this mark until
late next week. Temperatures will approach the century mark once again
around Tuesday and Wednesday after dropping slightly over the weekend.

Seattle will once again climb into
the lower 90s on multiple afternoons during the first half of the week,
following a dip into the upper 80s to start the weekend. Daily record
highs will be approached on Sunday and Monday.
Temperatures in interior hot spots will return to the 100s.
The
unseasonable heat, combined with poor air quality, will continue to put
a strain on those who venture outdoors. Even typically healthy groups
may need to limit the amount of strenuous activity outside.
Children, the elderly and those with respiratory issues may need to limit outdoor time altogether.RELATED:Smoke from British Columbia fires shrouds Northwest with poor air quality, dubbed 'Smokezilla' by tweetersWeekly wrap-up: Thunderstorms cut Lollapalooza short; Record heat bakes northwestern USBehind the numbers: How likely is your state to see a tornado?
“A persistent area of high pressure
over the western half of the country will promote stagnant air through
much of the week in the Pacific Northwest,” AccuWeather Meteorologist
Faith Eherts said.
The sprawling high pressure system has allowed
large amounts of smoke from wildfires in western Canada and locally to
remain trapped near the ground and cloud the sky for days in the Pacific
Northwest.
Air quality will fluctuate in severity as localized winds shift around the core of the smoke and haze through the week.

Cyclists peddle in view
of downtown Seattle, cloaked in a haze of smoke from fires raging in
British Columbia that swept down into the Puget Sound region, Thursday,
Aug. 3, 2017, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

As of Saturday morning, Aug. 5,
approximately 30 wildfires were burning across the three-state area of
Idaho, Oregon and Washington, according to the Wildfire Incident Information System. Dozens more large wildfires are raging across British Columbia.
An
uptick in mainly dry thunderstorms over the northern Rockies and
Cascades next week may only raise the risk of lightning-induced
wildfires as opposed to dousing ongoing blazes.
However, significant relief is on the horizon.
A
strong push of cooler, more seasonable air is projected to arrive
around the middle of August, which will sweep away the stagnant air,
greatly lower the risk of new blazes and potentially bring meaningful
rainfall to the region.